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The Onion slammed for making a 9/11 joke

Every weekday, PR Daily associate editor Alan Pearcy highlights the day’s most compelling stories and amusing marginalia on the Web in this, #TheDailySpin.

Satirical news hub The Onion is taking its viral lumps after critics across the Web panned an image taken from a video on its site that shows a plane with the Sears logo about to hit Chicago’s Willis Tower, formerly Sears Tower. Sticking to its sardonic tone, reports The Huffington Post, marketing director for The Onion, Grant Jones, cynically responded: "9-11 must never be the fodder for jokes. Perhaps you didn't see the news that humor died after 9-11."

Meanwhile, NBC’s coverage of the Summer Games has continued to irk television audiences and critics for one reason or another. Among the most recent complaints, at least according to Yahoo Sports blog Fourth Place Medal, is the distracting world record line superimposed on the screens.

NBC also had to deal with grievances that arose following U.S. Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas’ gold medal-winning performance in the women’s all-around competition. In what The Hollywood Reporter explains was a “coincidental occurrence” on the network’s part, it cut to a promo for a new fall show titled “Animal Practice,” in which a monkey that stars in the sitcom was shown hanging from gymnastic rings. With Douglas being the first African American woman to win the event, many deemed the timing of the promo racist and callous to viewers.

Blame Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt’s victory pose for all of the images of people we’re about to see “Bolting,” the latest photo meme to go viral.

At least the runner’s accolades warrant the imitation. Bolt’s win in the 100-meter dash on Sunday set a record for the BBC when 20 million viewers in Britain tuned in to watch, reportedly the network’s biggest televised sporting event.

And despite heavy disparagement on social media among viewers, NBC can’t be feeling too down about its ratings. According to The New York Times, the network’s coverage may turn a profit after initial predictions forecast a $200 million or more loss.